NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans have made significant staffing changes, announcing the appointment of experienced assistant John Fassel as their new special teams coordinator. This restructuring was made public on Monday by head coach Brian Callahan.
Fassel will take over the role previously held by Colt Anderson, who served only one season in the position. Joining Fassel is Rayna Stewart, who has moved from the Dallas Cowboys to serve as the assistant special teams coach. The Titans have also brought on Tony Oden as the passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach, while Luke Stocker has advanced to the role of tight ends coach.
In addition, the Titans disclosed that Chris Harris, who previously held the position of passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach along with tight ends coach Justin Outten and assistant special teams coach Anthony Levine, will not be returning to the team due to expiring contracts.
Fassel, who has been with the Cowboys from 2020 to 2024, played a pivotal role in elevating the team’s special teams to among the best in the NFL. During his tenure, three players garnered a total of six Pro Bowl selections, including standout returner KaVontae Turpin and kicker Brandon Aubrey, who contributed significantly this season. The Cowboys established an NFL record by averaging 32.1 yards per kickoff, bolstered by Turpin’s league-leading 33.5 yards per kickoff return and a notable 60-yard punt return. Aubrey excelled as well, ranking second in the league for field goals made.
Prior to his time with the Cowboys, Fassel served as the special teams coordinator for the Rams from 2012 to 2019, and for the Raiders from 2009 to 2011. He briefly acted as the Rams’ interim head coach during the final three games of the 2016 season. His career began as a special teams assistant with the Baltimore Ravens from 2005 to 2007, followed by a promotion to assistant special teams coordinator in Oakland in 2008. Fassel, the son of the late NFL coach Jim Fassel, was also the head coach at New Mexico Highlands University from 2003 to 2004.
Rayna Stewart, who has worked alongside Fassel for the last three seasons in Dallas, is returning to the organization that first drafted him in the fifth round in 1996. After playing for the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars, he transitioned to coaching in 2007. He was hired by then-Titans coach Jeff Fisher as a defensive quality control coach in 2009 and spent several years coaching at Vanderbilt before serving as a special teams assistant with Green Bay from 2019 to 2021.
Tony Oden arrives with a wealth of experience, bringing 19 years of NFL coaching and eight years of college coaching. He spent the last four seasons as a senior defensive assistant focusing on cornerbacks with the New York Jets. His coaching journey includes tenures with the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, and Houston Texans.
Luke Stocker, who began with the Titans as an offensive assistant in 2023 under former head coach Mike Vrabel, has now taken over tight ends coaching duties, having assisted Justin Outten last season. Stocker, a fourth-round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2011, played 11 seasons in the NFL, representing Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Atlanta, and Minnesota.
